underneath this one, you can see the lighted lette spell out l ocho lolove. take that darkness. that now. msnbc's coverage of the attack today in boston continues through the night. please stay with us. thanks. thank you. we're expecting a press conference from boston police about 30 minutes from now. we'll bring that to you live. let's start right now with what we know. here's the very latest information we have this hour on the horrific events that unfolded today in boston. this was the scene at the finish line of the boston marathon before 3:00 this afternoon. as we saw happened right at the finish line, there was a second explosion about a block further

back. the explosions took place 4:30 minutes into the place. the explosions came at what was to be a high-traffic time at the finish line. authorities said they did not have any specific intelligence on an attack ahead of time. they closed down the area around the blast site for 24 hours and boston police are asking people to stay in their homes or hotel rooms and not to gather in large crowds. right now they're not sure where the explosive devices were placed and treating anything unattended from backpacks to trash cans as suspicious. at this point the boston police are confirming two fatalities more than 20 injuries. the number of injuries coming from local hospital reporting are much higher with the total of 100 patients reportedly being treated at five area hospitals. law enforcement official told msnbc news one of the two known fatalities was an 8-year-old child. police say no suspect is in custody but many people are being questioned. the u.s. attorney's office in massachusetts is working together with the fbi, the atf

and other federal, state and law enforcement officials on the investigation. msnbc news is reporting that 460 national guardsmen have arrived on site as well. a white house official tells msnbc news that, quote, any event with multiple explosive devices as this appears to be is clearly an act of terror and will be approached as an act of terror. we'll talk more about what that means. early this evening, the president himself addressed the nation. >> we're continuing to monitor and respond to the situation as it unfolds. i directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the united states as necessary and investigate that. we still do not know who did this or why. and people shouldn't jump to conclusionings befos before we the facts. but make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this and we will find out who did this, we'll find out why they did this. any response -- responsible

individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice. >> president saying we still do not know who did this or why and people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts. that remains true at this moment as i speak to you. security has been stepped up around the white house this evening as well as in major cities around the country, from miami to new york city to los angeles. joining us tonight from boston, msnbc's katy tur. can you tell me the latest in boston in terms of where people are, what has been closed off and what the state of the city is now hours after the attack? >> reporter: it's very eerie here in boston. we're in the back bay, two blocks from the finish line, two blocks from where those explosions happened. the police commissioner of the city has asked that everybody stay inside, go back to their hotel rooms for their own safety. there was a 15-block radius around here where you cannot get in with car traffic. if you are coming into this

area, have you to walk. it's pretty eerie around here. you're not seeing very many people out here. you're seeing a lot of law enforcement, the national guard. we've heard the navy is assisting the investigation. the back bay, if you've been to boston, is usually a very popular area, a very busy area, especially after the marathon. these bars are going crazy usually after the marathon with people celebrating. right now everything is shut down. everyone around here is looking for answers. they're coming up to reporters, going up to police officers, trying to figure out why anybody would do this. of course, there are so few answers as of now. again, the white house and homeland security chairman are saying it appeared to be terrorism. it happened around the four hour mark of the race, around the finish line. that's when most of the racers usually finish. it looks like it was intended to cause the most damage. right afterwards there was certainly a scene of chaos. the first explosion it seemed people didn't know quite what happened. maybe it could have been an accident. 15 seconds later when the second

explosion went off, people knew something was wrong and that's when you got a lot of people panicking. we're a few steps away from where a woman stumbled away from the finish line with severe injuries. shrapnel injuries. she was whisked away to a local hospital. we don't know her condition as of now. with all of the shrapnel injuries there's a lot of lower limb injuries that's why there are so many people in critical condition at this hour. two people dead. about 100 injured, as you said, and we learned from law enforcement source that one of the people who died was an 8-year-old boy. people in this area, chris, as you would imagine, last thing they would expect today, it's a hole day, a celebratory day. they were not thinking anything like this could have happened. you have a feeling of shock and what could possibly happen next around boston tonight. >> i feel like that was heightened partly because of reports subsequent to the two explosions of other explosive device. the ap reporting, nbc news reported other items were found

left behind. we have not confirmed whether they were, in fact, explosive or not but we know out of precautionary measures boston police rendered them safe. do we know from boston police whether they have secured an area and are no longer concerned about the presence of secondary explosive devices? >> reporter: we do not know that as of now. there will be a press conference coming up in 30 minutes where we're expected to find out more about that. we know they were treating anything left on the ground, any package as suspicious. as can you imagine, it's a marathon. people are dropping things left and right. then when the explosions happened, they're running away, and dropping whatever is on them so they were treating everything as suspicious. we do believe there was potentially a third incendiary device and that that was safely detonated. there was also a fire at the jfk library but right now it's not clear what caused that fire. they are saying there were no explosions happening at that library.

>> nbc's katy tur, thank you so much. nbc news white house correspondent chuck todd joins us from washington. >> hi, chris. >> the president addressed the nation around 6:10. it was a fairly brief and very careful, in terms of what the president said and what we know. what are you hearing from the white house now about what is unfolding since that address and why they took the approach that they did? >> well, look, the issue, when you say the approach, we talk about carefully chosen words, one of them had to do with why he didn't use the word terrorism. it was something that the white house themselves addressed very quickly. you read that statement. that statement they put out right after the president. aides debated whether the president should say it or not and they made the decision not to. one of the things, you could hear it in president's voice, you talk to other officials, there isn't a lot of information they have right now. a bit of frustration with law enforcement officials from boston to washington about how little they seem to know at this point in time.

i've talked to a couple of former white house security officials, one who seemed to say it's one of two incidents, either a lone wolf or a group they don't know anything about and didn't see this group coming, if you will, because it's a group they hadn't been tracking, or they're just still trying to piece everything together. they may have something, but they want to be very, very careful, maybe overly careful because of what they think they might know. >> and that was quite evident in the president's remarks, chuck. it seems to me also when we use the word terrorism, we're talking about an action, but we're also talking about a motivation. if there is no information now about who did this and who's responsible, and as far as we know, no information, it seems to me prudent not to venture that word, since that word does imply some specific ideological motivation in the act itself. >> chris, i feel like i'm watching washington rush to say the word, you're right, there is a technical definition about it. >> you're right. >> which is political motivation

involved. i think there's been a hesitance -- the president himself said, we don't know the motive. they know it was somebody who committed an act of terror. >> right. >> and who tried to harm and kill people. but they don't know who it is and they don't have the motivation. until they do, i think that's why they're being very careful with what they say. they know the president's words get parsed like nobody's business. >> that's right. >> you know, it wasn't as if this caught them by surprise. >> and we, of course, just read recently a lesson for everyone in the wake of the benghazi attacks about how much initial reports may prove later to not be fully accurate. there's a lot of confusion in the aftermath of a chaotic mass kausht event like this. >> let's not forget the atlanta olympics. >> that's right. >> that was a terrorist -- a domestic terrorist who didn't take credit for it. there's this expectation, i think, much of our security system is so focused on

international terrorism sometimes that i think that's why this word gets thrown around, but, you know, there is -- there's assumptions, and i've heard others say there's the assumption somebody will take credit if it's a group. that's the way it works internationally. we don't know yet. >> chuck, we've also heard reports of expanded security around the white house. what can you tell us about that? >> well, we've seen it ourselves. they've pushed -- essentially gotten rid of the -- pushed the perimeter to lafayette park. obviously, pennsylvania avenue is closed to vehicle traffic but now they're closing it to essentially tourist traffic. if you have a i.d. badge -- we're not in full lockdown. if you have business at white house, you can get in and out. but this is high tourist season so they're pushing everybody back to lafayette park. opposite side of the white house. >> nbc news, chuck todd, appreciate it. >> you got it, sir. want to bring in correspondent ron allen joining us from mass general hospital in

boston. ron, obviously the boston area, home to an incredible number of some of the finest medical institutions in the entire country. what are you seeing at mass general and what are you hearing there about those who are been brought there after the explosions today? >> reporter: absolutely right, chris. and all the doctors and medical staff in the town seem to be pulling together. people have come in from home to help out because everybody, of course, is aware of what happened. first here at this -- outside the hospital, we were just told by the police some time ago to be careful about where we were because there was an operation of some sort going on not far from here where there was obviously some concern there might have been another explosive device. that passed, that threat, if there ever was one, has passed. we can stay here and broadcast. i was able to have a conversation with an emergency room physician from beth israel

across town, they received somewhere in the order of 20 to 30 patients. the doctor said what he described as an eerie calm because the crisis, the intense triage sessions have essentially ended. the situation is somewhat stabilized at the hospital, he said, but there are still at least seven patients who are in the operating rooms, in surgery right now, with life-threatening and what they describe as limb-threatening wounds. a lot of that. a lot of people facing partial amputations or perhaps total amputations much arms and legs. as you might expect in a situation where a bomb goes off, a lot of shrapnel is moving around, flying around at an incredibly violent pace. that's the kind of injury they're seeing that's causing the most life-threatening injuries. he said there are also -- i asked him what he saw and he said he looked -- again, he's not an expert but something of an expert, what looked like bb

gun pellets. in other words, it wasn't the kind of shrapnel in at least one or two cases that was glass and other kinds of debris that -- >> accidental chards off a trash can. >> reporter: exactly. he described something that he said was a bb pellet, which is something you would think, perhaps, of course the investigation will determine this as we go on, something that might have been packed into an explosive. that's one thing the police and investigators are trying to determine, whether these bombs, how they were made, what they were made of, but that doctor mentioned that, which i thought was interesting. again, at this point still, a lot of tension here in the city. i just flew in and drove through the city. i know boston pretty well. i used to live here for a time. it's a very eerie place where people are walking around, trying to get a sense of what's -- of where things are going and what's happening. everybody desperate for information, trying to hang on the latest word about what's going on, what's new. there are a lot of police roadblocks all over boston. it's very hard to get around.

the traffic is very, very thick. and, again, just as we were pulling up here to begin broadcasting, there was this warning from some of the police who were here. but this investigation of this parking garage, this area, has passed. again, it's an example of the fact i think this whole crisis, this whole situation is still evolving, still continuing. it's not over. of course, for people who are -- the patients in the hospitals here, i count seven at beth israel, a handful here. i don't want to -- i'm not sure of the exact numbers because it's a very fluid situation but there are still the possibility of people fighting for their lives, trying to deal with potentially life-threatening, as i said before, what they're describing as these limb-threatening wounds. >> our latest reporting, ron, is that we have 113 based on hospital reporting total injured. i would like to play sound for you, dr. alasdair conn addressed the media from mass general. >> some patients have already

received traumatic amputations at the scene, their legs have been blown off and bleeding profusely. in conjunction with boston mass on the scene, they're in the operating room already. >> ron, my question four in boston is this, we've seen in other mass casualty events, in other emergencies and crisis, whether caused by natural disaster or whatever, medical infrastructure overwhelmed by the shear number of people they have to process. it seems to me from the reporting we've seen today that the medical infrastructure, first responders, emts into the trauma centers in boston have been able to accommodate the incredible scale of this -- of the violence that happened there today. >> reporter: yes. i don't get the impression from talking to medical personnel or the reports we're hearing that the system is overwhelmed. i don't get that sense at all. you recall right at the end of the marathon, just past the finish line, there are --

there's a triage center set up, medical tent set up to handle injured runners who are pushing themselves across the finish lines. those areas were overwhelmed by people running in after the bomb blast. it's fortunate, if we can use this word, that this happened four hours into the race. that it didn't happen as leaders were crossing the finish line because there would have been many, many thousands more people, runners and spectators in the area. so, that is one thing that has kept the number of casualties down. but i don't get any sense that the medical facilities here are overwhelmed. they are amongst the best in the country, in the world. they know what they're doing. as i've said earlier, i've heard that a lot of volunteers have come rushing in from home who weren't on duty to try to be here to help out. as i'm sitting here -- standing hire ta here talking to you, i can still hear the sound of ambulances in the distance heading this way. there's an ambulance going by just up the street there.

again, there's still a very fluid situation. i've heard the number of 130 injured. the question now is, how many have been treated and released. we don't have a clear number on that. we do know there are, perhaps, a dozen or more people, something in that range, based on the reporting, the numbers we're hearing, of people who are still in potentially life-threatening situations. they're not calling it critical. they're not giving out that information. but still a lot of people in some severe danger here. >> ron allen, thank you so much. want one of the things that's strike being what we know so far is the ratio of fatalities to injuries. it's horrific two people have lost their lives but a true testament to the emts and first responders and medical facilities in the boston area that it appears so many have been able to avoid death. right now joining me is donald, former fbi agent who investigated the oklahoma city bombing.

u.s. embassy attacks in 1998 and bombing of "uss cole" in 2000 and co-founder of a security consultancy. thanks for being here. >> thank you. >> the one thing everybody wants to know is who did this, but it's the thing we cannot answer because it's unanswered. so, instead, as someone who has transported into the aftermath of a mass casualty event, in the role of investigator, explain to us what is happening now. who is showing up in boston, under whose direction, who is coordinating and what are the processes undertaken right now to find out who did this? >> well, it's going to be a long night and a long week for the agents and the -- and all of the members of the joint terrorism task force in boston. what typically happens, and i'm positive of what's happening now, is first thing is they have a joint command post set up. there will be a joint operation

center, j.o.c. this was more than likely already set up to handle an event like this because they're dealing with the boston marathon, which is a special zooevent standard procedure. >> standard procedure. these resources are in place, which is obviously saved them a lot of time. it's tough when you have a cold start. a bomb goes off, you have to set up a j.o.c. without any kind of prewarning. they've already got that infrastructure in place. in that j.o.c. will be representatives from all of the agencies that are basically involved in the investigation. state, local, federal. there will be people coming in from washington. this will be the nerve center of the investigation. so, right now it's kind of -- in 24/7 mode. >> what agencies are represented there? when you talk about joint terrorism task force, who is part of that? >> well, i can't tell you everybody in boston. certainly the fbi, the state police, atf, all the federal agencies, the local police. i was in charge of the

international terrorism division in new york as my last job. in new york, for example, over 50 participating agencies in the joint terrorism task force, so certainly there are a lot of resources that will be brought to bear on this situation. >> and what do those resources do? what are the investigators -- what's the checklist? where do you start going to figure this out? >> first thing is that we've got some good forensic evidence that's been collected. number one, the teams are going to go out and try to put these devices together that exploded. they're going to collect any little bits and pieces, wire, anything that can help put the devices together. and try to figure out, you know, what did it look like before it blew up. but we've got a break in the situation in that there were other devices. as i understand it, other devices retrieved that law enforcement rendered safe. so, we have some unexploded devices that can possibly really

provide significant leads. for example, do all the device, are they all similar? does it look like they were made by the same person? a lot of times people that make bombs make them the same exact way. they have a pattern. they have a signature to them. sometimes there's fingerprints, there can be dna. you can look at the components of the device and figure out where they came from. they'll start backtracking records. many times that the explosive material itself carries a signature so they can tell the manufacturer, who made it, if it was, you know, high order, low order, was it gunpowder, was it -- you know, what was the signature of this? >> let me ask you this is, i mean, based on the -- are there conclusions to be drawn about the sophistication or capacity necessary to produce the kinds of bomb we've seen, based on how fatal they appear to have been? is there anything that we can conclude based on who would have

the ability to make a bomb that would have this kind of effect? >> well, if -- for example, if it's kind of a pipe bomb that's made with black powder and a timing device, and as we saw in the early reporting had some kind of shrapnel, bbs or whatever, that is a device that's not overly complicated to make. now, you compare that to -- >> and that would expand the circle of plausible suspects, right? because it would mean that, you know, that is -- that is a capacity that many people have as opposed to something very -- >> less technical, obviously. the easier it is for the average person to get their hands on this. now, as opposed to some of the devices that we've seen coming out of afghanistan and pakistan that are made by more sophisticated bombers and techniques, for example, where they used tatps, the explosive. this was the device that was attempted to be used in the new york subway. this takes a higher degree of

training. it's also a lot more lethal. my opinion, and this is just opinion. i am not a bomb tech. but if we had seen devices that were more sophisticated, i think we would see a lot more casualties. >> and we would have a more narrow sense, possibly, of possible -- >> possibly. but that's only based on what i've seen on the video and just my amateur assessment. >> let me ask you this question and then we have an eyewitness in the medic tent today when the explosion went off, but before we do that, what -- what is the rule of law that currently operates -- this is particularly important after abdullah, the underwear bomber, when we're

talking about investigations happening with u.s. officials across a number of agencies, what rule of law controls right now? >> the fbi is in charge of terrorism. so, it is an -- it is an fbi-led investigation. >> which means the united states constitution and due process it affords and all of the dotting is and crossing ts that that -- that goes along with that? >> that goes along with that. however, that is not to say that intelligence collection isn't a big part of this. and the trick is to find that delicate balance. for example, if there is information to be collected by intelligence means, whether it's a sensitive soergs, domestic, overseas, we'll pursue every angle of that. if it means that somebody's in custody and the decision is made that we want to interview this person without reading miranda rights because -- >> you're saying in foreign

custody? >> even in u.s. custody there are situations now where a lot of people would say, you don't need to read miranda rights right away. this decision -- if a very strong suspect is picked up or somebody could provide significant information, i think that decision, whether or not to mirandize could be -- >> presumably as the fbi is going through this, they are looking to make sure there are no secondary attacks, first priority, right, imminent threat. >> absolutely. >> and second of all, to make sure they maintain the possibility of ultimately getting criminal conviction? >> absolutely. >> joining us is an eyewitness to the bombing. he ran the marathon and was in the medical tent when the explosions happened. joining us by phone from boston. describe what you were doing in the medical tent at what time and what the scene there was like. >> yeah. the first thing, this was wave

three, so i was running -- i was a charity runner, so we started at approximately 10:40 a.m. then i finished just under four, my first under four, thus i pushed pretty hard mile 25 and 26. that means i was pretty winded, dizzy and felt like i was ready to faint. and, thus, as i crossed the finish line i asked for medical assistance. they stuck me in a wheelchair, wheeled me over there. i heard your reporter, typical post-marathon to give me a little tlc. excuse me, i'm by mass general and another ambulance coming by there. i was in the tent for a little tlc. i think it was approximately eight minutes after i crossed, close to 2:40 p.m., when i heard the explosion. i was laying on a cot, having my blood pressure taken or something like that and my initial question was, is that thunder? it was a beautiful day here in

boston so i didn't think that was the case. it was a loud boom. you could sense immediately in the tent that it was more than thunder and certainly a very serious situation. >> and then did you hear the second explosion right afterwards? >> yeah. i think that's what triggered it, you knew then -- i suppose the first thing that came to my mind is there could have been a generator or a water line, something of that sort. you hope and pray that it's not some sort of intentional act. unfortunately, it sounds like that's not the case. let me, first of all, say that i -- my prayers are to the victims, which hopefully that's not what's coming in now. but my hearts and prayers goings out to all the people that are effected. have i to say the attendance in that tent, imagine -- probably about the length of a football field but not quite as wide, the people who are in that tent were

immediately on that scene. i don't think you could have asked for a better response from medical personnel to handle the victim in this case. >> they were immediately springing out of that tent to the scene and bringing people into the tent? is that where triage was administered? >> as i mentioned, i was in the wheelchair. they had stretchers, et cetera. the good side of all this is that all that was on scene. so, if you watch any video, you'll see these -- unlike oklahoma city or other similar situations where you see firefighters or whoever carrying victims, in this case everybody was coming into that medical tenlt on stretchers or in wheelchairs. and pretty quickly after -- i was feeling good. they had goaten me some salts and fluids, et cetera, so i was doing okay. and they made an announcement, something to the effect of, we need to move all runners -- all runners we need to move to the far end of the tent and i very vividly recall the phrase, please all remain calm,

something to the effect of, there's been an incident, just remain calm. an impressive response from that entire first aid tent to make sure everything was happening in a quick but also an orderly fashion. so, i was probably -- my legs were pretty wobbly, they still are, and i'm just pleased to be even walking based on other scenarios, but as soon as i was trying to get out of there, the nurses had other priorities. i was trying to tell them, don't worry about me, go take care of other people. >> we are waiting on a live press conference from boston with some updates from the boston police department. and i believe massachusetts governor deval patrick. they have addressed the press several times. it will be the boston police department giving some more updates on the latest there. greg was in the medic tent, speaking to us by phone, when he saw the first responders spring into action.

did you see the people brought in? did you see the kind of injuries people were sustaining? >> i did. to put it bluntly, i would prefer not to describe what i saw. i would say only people in military or emts responding to accident victims or that sort, it's not something i would not -- as you might guess, it was bloody injuries, ranging from what i would guess were superficial to much more severe than that. and you can just speculate based on what you've seen the medical reports are. i was in there. i saw the immediate victims being brought in, so it was not pretty. >> greg, who ran the marathon today, was in the medic tent at the moment of the explosion. i hope you're feeling better and thank you so much for joining us tonight. really appreciate it. >> you bet. again, my prayers are out to the family. >> thank you. we have a statement by secretary napolitano on boston explosions. our thoughts and prayers go out

to everyone impacted by this incident in boston, especially families and loved ones of those injured, state and local law enforcement agencies continue to respond at the president's direction. we encourage the public to be vigilant, listen to direction from state and local officials. don, can i ask you a question? there was quite a bit of reaction to this linguistic question about whether the president did or did not use the word terrorism to discuss this event. chuck todd and i have a back and forth. does it matter from the prospective of an investigator on the ground, is that at all meaningful to doing your job? >> at this point that's something more for the media to worry about and what the president said. this investigation is being treated like terrorism. the default position is when you have multiple devices go off or attempted to go off, it's -- it's terrorism from an investigative standpoint.

>> in terms of the resources that are brought to bear? >> in terms of the resources, in term of the laws that will be used, you know, the methods and tech techniques of the investigation. this will be treated like terrorism. until proven otherwise, essentially. maybe it will turn out to be just a nothing -- you know, as a traditional terrorism with an idealistic motive or a specific identified group with an agenda, but at this point, from an investigator, you know, point of view, it's an act of terrorism. >> charlts pierce, a staff writer and an incredible reporter. he joins us from boston. charlie, as a son of boston, just tell me what the significance of this day, patriot day, and the boston marathon day, and a day everyone who's been a part of it in boston says is awesome, the significance of this -- something so horrible happening on this day.

>> well, i've covered about 15 boston marathons. we all make fun of ourselves up here because this is a holiday only in massachusetts because it celebrates battles of lexington and concord and legislature gets the day off. we all make fun of it. this will be now as dark a day as the city has in its memory. this is the -- this is the -- don't know. i don't even know what you call it. the boston marathon is one of the few sporting events we have now that is not heavily garrisoned because it's impossible to do. 26 miles long. millions of people line the race. i had to go through metal defect tors to get on the capitol mall for the inauguration. the boston marathon is the last true festival event we have and now it's been marked. >> i want to direct our viewers' attention on the right side of the screen. we have a live shot from boston

where we're expecting a live update from the boston police department in just moments. charles, you went down to the aftermath of the scene after the explosion. what did you see there? >> well, i mean, i'd like to associate myself with don there. the question of whether or not the president says terrorism or not is sadly irrelevant when you walk around copley square. this was a shell-shocked -- you know, just a shell-shocked kind of feeling you saw. the other thing that's unique to this particular event is you're dealing with eyewitnesss who have already run 26 miles today. >> yeah. >> these are people who are stunned anyway. and then to come around that last corner and come down boylston street and then walk into -- essentially walk, run or jog into the abyss, it's beyond my experience. and, you know, what was left when i got down there were, you know, exhausted emts, the

absolutely exhausted people in the medical tent and runners trying to get together with their families. runners trying to -- you know, entire families trying to regroup on the common and in the public garden and in that part of back bay going toward charles river which wasn't blocked off. >> i want to read some information, since you're talking about this, for folks that are watching in the boston or around the boston area, looking for loved ones around boston. here's important information for getting in contact with loved ones in boston. cell service is jammed up. google released googles person finder. go to google.org/personfinder, leading you to boston explosions. you follow the prompts, you're looking for someone or have information about someone. with cell service so spotty because of the overload, this is a great way, if you have an internet connection to try to track down loved ones or friends in boston. you can logon to redcross.org, their safe and well services

serves the same purpose. boston.com set up a google doc for people who need a place to stay or a place to house runners who can't get to their hotel. we'll put that up on our website. the major thing about marathon day in major cities -- i haven't been to the boston marathon but in a lot of cities, is the communal spirit they tend to engender. charlie, i wonder your sense of how the boston police and local boston officials have responded to this and what the feeling in the city is about that response so far? >> well, let's go from the -- from the most on the ground and work out. the emts and emergency responders and the boston police, most of whom had been on duty and at their stations on boylston street have been on post since midnight. they were exempl larry. they had to take down the safety

barriers to get to the injured. boylston is lined with metal safety barriers to keep the crowds back. all accounts are that the emts and first responders did an absolutely magnificent job of what had to be an out of nowhere event. my sense is now, having been around, is that the federal response is starting to take over from the local response. i think -- and i think don eluded to this earlier. as soon as they set up the joint operating center, then it's a federal investigation. the boston police, the ones i spoke to on the scene, they were very nervous, very jumpy. the worst two words in the english language for me today were secondary device. i heard it three or four times as i walked through back bay, trying to get as close as i could to the scene of the events. i think most of the -- what you had there was essentially a controlled area anyway and you had police who had been on duty since midnight so they were at least on station to control the

area around back bay when they had to. >> we've also got kurt from wbar, the boston public radio station. he joins us from phone. you've been out and about today and doing some fantastic reporting i've been following myself. and what are you hearing? what is the latest you are hearing? >> well, i think what's really interesting is how a lot of boss to bostonians have rallied to help the runners, many who couldn't finish the race because it was cut short and cut off. and a lot of the crime scene is in and around hotels where people are staying. and thousands of people have offered places for people to stay. and there's been reaction from folks because this is -- this is a really special day in boston. i tweeted this morning before anything happened that it's the greatest day of the year in boston. it's a great public event. this is about professional runners but also thousands of amateurs who are doing this amazing feat. and it's unlike, you know, the

super bowl or other events where it's exclusive and expensive to get tickets. this is free to everybody. it's an amazing community spirit. and not just american. because it's a big international event. ethiopian and kenyan runner both won women's and men's division today. thousands of people come from around the world. it's an amazing tribute to sort of the human spirit and that's why it strikes everybody here so wrong. >> in fact, one of the most iconic moments, i think, in the horrifying video we've seen that was taken is, as you see the explosion and the camera moves in to where the explosion, there is this line of flaggings from across countries of the world representing people from different countries around the world to come participate. that's precisely the place. nothing more open or cosmopolitan than this image we're seeing now of country after country after country's

flags, literally attacked in that moment that i think is the moment that we've all seen today. there's something really powerful, similar both bolicily about that. this is a very open event. >> absolutely. and it's right across the street -- the finish line is right across the street from the boston public library. the first public library in the country. the sign over the door says "free to all." this is an open spirit and a race that's all about liberty and human achievement. >> and i would also say, as we look at this footage and as, obviously, we're thinking about the victims, we're thinking about those who are currently right now as we speak receiving surgery in some of the hospitals around boston, those who are reuniting with loved ones, those who have been amputated and suffered the loss of limbs, on a day of such tremendous horror, as there always are in this country and around the world,

tremendous examples of nobility and grace and solidarity and communal spirit and bravery and toughness and kindness in all of the people around. not just the first responders but in the folks who were there. we've seen pictures of just random strangers rushing in as volunteers to help folks. and i think it's important that we all keep our eyes on that. don, i want to ask you, you know, after 9/11 there was a tremendous and profound transformation of the way that we provided security to events in this country. everything from going into a midtown manhattan office building and showing them your i.d., having your bag searched at yankee stadium, anything like that, right? what transformations do you think might come out of this? what -- to what extent is a mass open event that covers a 26-mile route like this even a thing that could plausibly be defended from this kind of attack? >> yeah, that's -- it's tough because unlike a super bowl or an event where you're funneling

everybody into one kind of fixed space and you have the opportunity to do more screening, this event is spread out over 26 miles, so it's tough. and, obviously, the organizers of the event, and you know, the participants, the city of boston, you know, it's meant to be fun. and sometimes it's a challenge to balance security with making it fun for the participants because not everybody wants to spend six hours in line to get into a place and have their bag checked and this and that. people eventually will stop going. so, you know, you have to try to find that balance. i think as the investigation you understand foldings we'll maybe learn what was done in this and how -- lessons learned on how to prevent it. you know, how soon were these devices placed before they blew up? was there a way to prevent that? did boston need more patrols, you know, dogs or technical

devices that could have help identify one of these devices. who knows. probably not. sometimes you do everything by the book and -- >> and still -- >> -- you know, it happens. >> kurt, there was a remarkable moment, charlie, i would love to hear your thoughts on this, there was a remarkable moment as tom menino, boston mayor for many years. he announced he will not see re-election. he was in the hospital, came back from the hospital to address reporters today. the mayor has -- really looms large in the city of boston because of the duration and the fame of his tenure there. >> for sure. i mean, he was -- he's been mayor for 20 years. of course, was mayor on 9/11 when two of the planes left boston logan airport. and so security here has been taken uber seriously ever since. in many ways this was the worst

place to try to do something like this because police had swept that area. there were emergency responders who did yoemen's work taking care of people immediately, highly trained folks there. there were dozens if not hundreds of police in those two blocks and race officials. police were drawing their pistols within seconds muof tha explosion. the presence was there. i'm sure much will be examined and how much they've spent on security in the past. but it's -- you know, from all accounts, at least at first, they did what they were supposed to do. >> curt of -- >> i want to -- >> curt, thank you. i'm sorry, charlie. oh, they're not -- are they starting? we'll bring you that press release live when we have the sound. we are looking at a live shot of boston.

>> going to have the governor join us, police commissioner, fbi, et cetera. >> appears to be a brief two-minute warning the press release is about to be begin. we're awaiting deval patrick and officials in the latest aftermath of the bombing today of the boston marathon. >> everybody set? >> i'm going to make a couple of comments and then turn it over to rick, in charge of the fbi office and then have

commissioner davis take comments. as you know this whole community has been dealing with a horrific event today. two explosions on boylston street near the finish line of today's boston marathon. over 100 people were injured. some gravely. we're not ready yet to detail those injuries. there are local, state, federal law enforcement on scene. the fbi has taken charge of the investigation. as i mentioned, special agent in charge will speak to that in just a minute. this is an active investigation, particularly in the several blocks around boylston street, around that blast area. that is a crime scene. the national guard has secured that crime scene and is limiting access to it. so, that will affect not just this evening but the next day or two while the investigation continues.

a support center has been opened at the park plaza castle on arlington and columbus avenue. runners -- there were several runners unable to finish the race, as you know, because the race was stopped at mass avenue right after the event. there are buses bringing those runners from various cities and towns along the route to that support station now. and families who have not had a chance yet to connect or other friends and supporters not yet had a chance to connect with runners or who have other needs can check in there at the support center. the city, the mayor and his staff have made staff available at the support center to help meet people's needs. otherwise, the city of boston is open and will be open tomorrow, but it will not be business as usual. it will be a heightened law enforcement presence consistent

with the severity and seriousness of the ongoing investigation. people should expect those who are riding the "t" that there will be random checks of backpacks and other parcels. and we just ask everyone to be patient with that inconvenience for the time being. it is for the public's safety. we're also asking that everyone be on a state of heightened vigilance. that is really required of everyone. please report suspicious packages or parcels or suspicious activity to local law enforcement. i also want to say there have been a number of stories i've heard this afternoon of residents in boston and along the route in the cities and towns, that the marathon passes through, of extraordinary kindness shown to runners and others, neighboring and visitors who are as shaken by this experience as we are.

and we so appreciate those kindnesses and thank you for them. we're going to get through this. we do not have all the answers to all of your questions yet. not all of you here in the media or others around the commonwealth, around the country or the world, but i can tell you from the president to the members of our congressional delegation to many, many fellow governors who have called to check in, to all of the leaders in law enforcement, here in the state, at the local level and at the federal level, we are all coming together to do everything we can to get to the bottom of this. let me turn the podium over now to special agent in charge, rick. >> thank you very much, governor patrick. the most important fact i wanted to convey to everybody this evening has already been mentioned by governor patrick. the fbi has taken the lead in this investigation. it is asserting federal jurisdiction. it will do so through boston

joint terrorism task force, members of which are comp priced by all members of the law enforcement agencies here represented at the podium. this there be a combined federal, state and local effort. it will be an ongoing investigation. it is a criminal investigation that has the potential -- is a potential terrorist investigation. we'll be working diligently to gather information and gather all the facts and bring those who are responsible for this crime to justice as swiftly as possible. it's an ongoing investigation, as governor patrick mentioned. i'm not in liberty to go into details of that investigation, but echoing governor patrick's words, i encourage everyone to have a heightened state of vigilance in the boston area tonight and tomorrow as we move forward. encourage anyone who has information pertaining to this crime to call 1-800-call-fbi. this is a tip line we have set up ready to receive tips that might come in or leads that might come in. the fbi is bringing a

substantial, very, very substantial federal resources to bear along with our federal partners. atf is well represented here. jean marquez has been a keel ally of ours. all law enforcement agencies will be bringing tremendous resources to bear, all federal resources that can be brought to bear will be brought up here to the boston area. that being said, i'll turn it over now. i think u.s. attorney wanted to say a few words and then we'll turn it over to commissioner davis. >> yes, good evening. i want to echo what the governor has said and what many others have said throughout the day today that this is a horrific tragedy in our city of boston. and we, on behalf of the department of justice, are here to provide all the resources necessary to this investigation. there are a lot of questions. and questions that we wish we could answer at this point. but what i can assure you is that this is a very thorough and

active and fluid ongoing investigation. and i ask you that you help with that. quite frankly, i know that there are -- it is a lot of information that is being sought as the goov nor said. there's been a bit of misinformation. we do not want to add to that misinformation and what we want to do is to continue to investigate this matter, get to the individual or individuals that may be responsible for this. and the department of justice is prepared to provide all of the assistance necessary to our -- not only the fbi and atf and our other federal agencies, but our state and local partners as well. so, i just wanted to echo that on behalf of the department. thank you. >> thank you, united states attorney. on behalf of mayor menino, i would like to offer my sympathies to the victims and the families of this horrendous event.

this cowardly act will not be taken in stride. we will turn every rock over to find the people who are responsible for this. we're working very closely with my partner, rick, the boston police department is on the scene and has been there since this incident happened. there's been a horrendous loss of life. at least three people have died in this event. but the number of injuries and the people injured is an unfolding -- an issue right now. we will not have hard figures on that until tomorrow morning. there were all sorts of questions being asked. i want to stress one thing. there is no suspect at bringham and women's hospital. i would like to fix that right now. again, there will be -- there will be questions that you have and we'll do our best to answer

them, but this is still very early in the investigation. tomorrow, as the governor said, it will not be business as usual in boston. the boston police department is onle emergency deployment. we are working 12-hour shifs. there will be a significant police presence throughout the city. police give us space around the copley area as we process this scene. any pieces of information, photos from the incident, getting those to the fbi tip line, primarily right now the investigation because of the nature of this investigation as well as the boston police line at 1-800-49-tips. >> thank you very much, commissioner. earlier this afternoon i was on boylston street near the finish line. had left about 30 minutes before this incident occurred. a short time ago, our top staff

went down to the scene. it was a large and disturbing scene. like each of you, i'm praying for the victims and their loved ones. this is a terrible, terrible day for them. they and the public at large can count on our very best and most seamless work in the days to come. seconds after those bombs went off, we saw civilians running to help the victims right alongside members of the boston police department and boston ems. in the hours that followed, police and medical personnel from across the region have sent dozens, maybe even hundreds much volunteers to help us here in boston. that's what americans do. in times of crisis. we come together and we help one another. moments like these, terrible as they are, don't show our weakness. they show our strength. thank you. >> take in questions?

[ inaudible ] >> you told people to be calm before -- [ inaudible ] >> no. next question? >> reporter: you said there is no suspect but a person of interest, either at park plaza or -- people of interest? >> i'm want going to comment on specific investigative leads ongoing right now. i'm not at liberty, too. but there is investigative activity going on right now but i'm not allowed to comment on the specks. [ inaudible ] >> it's a very active and fluid investigation at this time. all resources, federal, state, local, are being brought to bear. >> reporter: how many explosive devices did you find? >> again, i'm not going to comment on specifics of the investigation right now in terms of the number of explosives found at the locations. [ inaudible ] >> no, i'm not going to comment.

evidence analysis is ongoing right now. it would be imprudent for me to comment before that review is finished. >> reporter: people that work in the area, what should people do tomorrow? >> in the area -- should i respond to that? >> please go. >> just in the area that is the cordoned off crime scene which basically runs along boylston street to berkeley to mass avenue and north to newbury street and south to huntington street. that's the secure area right now. now, that may get smaller over the course of the next several hours of investigation but that area is not going to be accessible for normal traffic. there are people in hotels and people who live there. who have to work out how they get to and from to where they need to be. but otherwise, i think it's fair to say that area's pretty much going to be locked down until the investigation is complete.

>> reporter: people can walk to their offices or walk to work? >> that has to be sorted out. it's not going to be easy, simple or regular. and i think in most cases people are not going to be -- going to be able to have access to that specific area as it evolves over the course of the night. >> reporter: so what do people do? [ inaudible ] >> exactly, exact. i would say in this sense, this is a little like storms we've dealt with where we are very much going to depend on you. as soon as we get information, we will put that out and count on you to get it out to the general public. >> are you confident that you found all the explosives? >> are you confident people are safe now? are you concerned? >> we are in the process of going through all of the abandoned property that was discarded at those places. we've pretty much cleared the boylston street area. there are no devices we've

located at this point in time but we are getting reports from various places about suspicious packages. that's perfectly understandable in this situation. i'm not prepared to say we are although east at this point this time. we are actively pursuing every lead that we have. >> reporter: in the explosion, can you confirm that, that an 8-year-old child was killed? >> i'm not going to confirm that right now. we'll have that information first thing in the morning. the medical people are compiling that as we speak. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: extent of injuries, how -- >> this was a powerful blast. there are serious, serious injuries? >> reporter: are you searching the entire route? >> the investigation will lead us in various places but right now that area the governor outlined is our main point of focus right now. >> reporter: speaker telling people to be